Electric switchgear is well known to those of skill in the art. The switchgear may be configured within a housing with at least one compartment provided with a door and electrical conductors adapted for connection to a load. The switchgear may be mounted on a withdrawable (aka, “draw out”) contactor truck.
An example of such a truck 10 is shown in FIG. 1. The truck 10 is movable inside the compartment between a connected position and a withdrawn position. Each phase of the switching device is electrically connected to a corresponding electrical conductor in the connected position. In the withdrawn position, each phase of the switching device is electrically separated from the corresponding electrical conductor. During movement of the switching device between the connected position and the withdrawn position, the main contacts are kept electrically separated.
Typical medium voltage (MV) withdrawable contactors have a standard levering-in cradle that requires a user to hand crank the component into the switchgear. This places the user in front of the switchgear. Some switchgear units have external motors that mount outside the switchgear door but these components can be cumbersome and relatively heavy.
There remains a need for alternate contactor truck configurations.